13 Introduction 14 Methods 17 Results 25 Discussion 28 Management Implications 35 References 36 APPENDIX 1. Size-specific growth curves for black bullhead in Clear Lake, Iowa. 64 APPENDIX 2. Size-specific growth curves for common carp in Clear Lake, Iowa. 65 APPENDIX 3. Size-specific growth curves for walleye in Clear Lake, Iowa. 66 APPENDIX 4. Size-specific growth curves for yellow bass in Clear Lake, Iowa. 67 APPENDIX 5. Fish collection data for fish collected in Clear Lake, Iowa. 68 APPENDIX 6. Age-length frequency matrix for black bullhead sampled from Clear Lake, Iowa. 92 APPENDIX 7. Age-length frequency matrix for common carp sampled from Clear Lake, Iowa. 93 APPENDIX 8. Age-length frequency matrix for walleye sampled from Clear Lake, Iowa. 94 iii APPENDIX 9. Age-length frequency matrix for yellow bass sampled from Clear Lake, Iowa. 95 APPENDIX 10. Diet proportions by number for black bullhead, common carp, walleye and yellow bass collected from Clear Lake, Iowa in 2007 and 2008. 96 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 98

Growth of Walleyes Sander vitreus, Yellow Bass Morone mississippiensis, Common Carp Cyprinus carpio, and Black Bullheads Ameiurus melas was assessed in Clear Lake, Iowa, over several decades and in relation to environmental variables. Growth of Common Carp was positively correlated with phytoplankton concentration. Recent Black Bullhead growth was faster than in the 1950s and 1990s, which may be a consequence of their recent decline in abundance. Growth of Common Carp and Yellow Bass was faster in the 1940s than in more recent time periods. Relative to their entire range, Common Carp first‐year growth was below average, whereas length at later ages was above average. Walleye relative growth showed a similar pattern. The large changes in growth over several decades suggest that as the Clear Lake ecosystem continues to change, growth rates of its important fish species are also likely to continue changing.